


Just Another Day at the Zoo

by orphan_account



Category: Supernatural
Genre: M/M, Zoo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-03
Updated: 2013-03-03
Packaged: 2017-12-04 04:38:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/706648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Crowley prefers hounds to humans, and Bobby tries to keep him out of trouble.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just Another Day at the Zoo

**Author's Note:**

> Zookeper AU, part of my 2012 Nanowrimo ficlet series.

A camel galloped across the small enclosure to bleat at him, and tried to spit in his face as zookeeper Bobby Singer forked piles of hay out of the feed truck he was driving around the small zoo. Bobby ducked out of habit, and stuck his tongue out at the camel as he continued to place the food in a pile in the enclosure. The camel went from playfully antagonizing to viciously mean quickly, attempting to bite him. He dodged it, and finished the pile before getting back in the truck. Camels were notorious jackasses and very territorial, and if they weren’t so popular with the visitors, Bobby would have voted to get rid of them. 

He was driving around to the rest of the exhibits in his section of the park when he got an emergency call over the radio. Something happened at one of the exhibits in the next section over. As he drove, achingly slowly through the crush of people, he learned more: a child had fallen into the wolf exhibit, and been quickly followed by the nearest zoo employee: canine expert and pack master James Crowley, Bobby’s fuckbuddy, friend, and occasional boyfriend. 

It took him five minutes to drive the few hundred yards to the exhibit, and when he got to the edge of the enormous territory they’d built the wolf pack Bobby was relieved to see Crowley had the scared, but seemingly unhurt child in his arms- the girl was barely out of toddler hood- and was calming the excited wolves with barked commands. He reached out to scratch the alpha female’s chin. Crowley wasn’t showing an ounce of the fear Bobby knew he had to be feeling, with a vulnerable and terrified child so near the wolves he had a healthy respect for. He could see the emergency response team moving through the exhibit towards the pair. Crowley walked slowly toward the rescuers and the group exits the exhibit to cheers from the crowd. 

—————

[At a meeting, later that day]

“How the _hell_ could they let that happen? Who the hell was in charge of the fencing structures? Who was watching the brats and their parents?”

“Crowley, it’s fine, you got the kid out-“

“This time. Next time I might not be lucky enough, and some idiot will get eaten for being too stupid to live and my pups will be put down for being themselves.”

The director of public relations for the zoo had a funny look on his face, and Bobby could nearly hear the man thanking god Crowley hadn’t said that in public. It was well known that Crowley preferred most animals to humans, but Bobby was pretty sure he was the only one who knew exactly how serious Crowley was when he said he’d only saved the kid because the wolves would have been in trouble otherwise. 

He tugged his irate friend out of the meeting- knowing that once they’d told their stories the directors would decide what actions to take and how to play it. Humbly doing his job was the only angle that was going to work as far as Bobby was aware. Crowley couldn’t be sold as a hero; he just didn’t look like one, even without his sarcastic, biting, and nasty personality. They walked quietly through the deserted zoo, accompanied only by the soft cries of the nocturnal animals and the glow of the stars overhead. 

“Y’did good. The wolves are safe, the kid’s safe, your job’s safe, and they might put some more money into upgrading the fences, and the wolf program in general now that they’ve got some free publicity.”

“Only did it for the wolves.”

“I know.” They came to a stop in the parking lot, and Crowley leaned his head against Bobby’s shoulder. The adrenaline that had carried him through the late night meeting had finally run out. 

“Let me drive you home?”

“Not touchin’ your truck.” Crowley half slurred.

“I’ll drive your car.”

“… fine.”

Crowley fell asleep on the way to his apartment.


End file.
